The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-04-09
IN CASE OF FIRE.
valuable Advice to women.

The following letter appeared in a re-
cent number of the London Times:
Will you grant me space to explain
briefly what, l think, should be the hrst
thing to be done by a girl or woman whose
dresses has caught fire, and similarly the
first duty of any one who goes to her res
cue.
A Girl or woman who meets with this
accident should Immediately lie down on
the floor, and SO any one who goes to her
assistance should instantly if she still be
erect. make her lie down, or if needful,
throw her down in horizontal position,
and keep her in it.
Sparks fly upward, and flames ascend:
IGNITION from below mounts with fearful
rapidity: and, as result, well-known to
experts, the fatality or disfigurements In
these lamentable cases is due to the burns
inflicted about the body, neck, face and
head, and not injuries to the lower limbs.
Nov, the very moment that the person
whose clothes are on fire is in horizontal
position on fiat surface, the flames still
ascend. but on into the air, and not enclr-
cling their victim Time is thus gained
for further action, and in such crisis in
fight against fire few seconds are pre-
cious, nay, priceless.
Once in the prone position, the person
afflicted may crawl to a bell-pul or to
door, so as to clutch at the one or open the
other to obtain help. The draught from
an open door into the room would serve to
blow the flames, if any, away from the
body.
Or again, still crawling, the sufferer may
be able to secure rug or table-cover, or
other articles at hand, to smother any re-
naming flames.
say remaining flames, for as soon as
the horizontal position is assumed they
have no longer much to feed upon, and may
either do out, as the phrase is, or may be
accidentally or Intentionally extinguished
as the person rolls or moves upon the floor.
In any case, not only is time gained, but
the injury inflicted is minimized.
In the event of the conditions not being
those of self-help, but of assistance from
another, if it be man who comes to the
rescue, having first and instantly thrown
the girl or woman down, it is easy to take
off his coat and so stile the diminished
flames with this or some other suitable COW
ering, the flames playing now upward from
the lower limbs or lower part of the body
of the PROSTATE fellow-creature.
If be a woman who rushes to give
aid, this last named condition suggests that
the safer mode of rendering it is to approach
the sufferer by the head, and fling some
thing thence over the lower part of the
body, for fear of setting fire to herself.
If, in these fearful accidents, the hori-
zontal position be assumed or enforced,
there would be, in short, comparative i'm
munity and limited injury. Ii not. what
must happen? The fire will mount; the
flames (and it is these which do the inju-
ry) will envelop the body inside and out
side the clothes, and will reach the neck
and head, and then, indeed, they may be
smothered by coat or wrapper, or rug,
while the victim is frightfully disfigured or
is doomed to perish.
For many years I have urged these
views while featuring on injuries from
burns; and once I had an occasion to illus
trate them practically, though in COM
paratively trivial accident.
Some dressings of very infammable
character caught fire at the bedside of a
patient in one of my surgical wards; they
were promptly seized by a student, who
threw them into the middle of the ward,
and endeavored to stamp out the flaming
material But this containing paraffine
and resin adhered to his boots and his legs
as he danced about were getting uneomfort-
ably hot.
To his establishment, and to the un-
doubted surprise of every one in sight, |
caught him by the collar of his coat, and
tripped up his legs. Instantly the flames
became harmless, and were extinguished
by nurse throwing a jug of water on
them.
have often thought that on the APP
proach of the Winter season there should
be at every school, whether board, volun-
tary, or private, whether for girls or boys,
an address, if not an actual demonstration
by means of suitable models, pointing out
what should be done in these special calam-
tiles.
If two upright models were prepared
alike, and simultaneously set on fire, one
being thrown down after two seconds and
one after thirty seconds, or at any other
two.different times, the memories of child
rem would receive a lasting, and it might
be serviceable, impression.